This legislation would extend FAA funding until September of next year. It includes poorly written security measures that could cause current airline employees to lose their jobs without making air transportation any safer.
Lawmakers have added a number of security provisions to the bill in response to recent terrorist attacks overseas. Those attacks focused on soft targets, like areas outside of airport security. But rather than addressing security vulnerabilities, some lawmakers, like Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), have pushed for language that will put TWU members’ jobs at risk. They want to have employment background checks look 15 years into an employee’s past—that’s five years longer than today. The additional scrutiny would apply only to Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge holders. There is no evidence that these changes will strengthen security, but it’s pretty clear they would put some airline employees out of work.
Ask Congress to oppose any FAA extension that includes onerous security provisions that target airline workers rather than real security threats.